Caribbean's Largest Solar Plant Opens in Puerto Rico

San Juan – The Caribbean's largest solar energy park, capable of generating enough electricity to meet the annual consumption of 12,000 families, was inaugurated Monday in the southern Puerto Rican municipality of Guayama.

Gov. Luis Fortuño, who attended the inauguration, said in a communique about the AES Solar project that it is one of the most ambitious solar power facilities in the entire United States.

The solar park will supply energy to state-owned utility AEE under a 20-year contract.

The project, which benefited from federal stimulus money, during its construction phase created 200 jobs.

Fortuño emphasized that with the Guayama project Puerto Rico places itself in the front rank of renewable energy generation in the Caribbean.

Plant director Neil Watlington said, meanwhile, that he felt happy to be a part of the first large-scale solar energy project in Puerto Rico and that the initiative opens the door to a more sustainable energy future.

AES Solar is a global firm specializing in building large-scale photovoltaic solar parks connected to electric grids that supply renewable energy to homes and businesses.

The company operates solar projects in Italy, Greece, Spain and France, and it has several such projects in the development phase in the United States, Bulgaria and India.